Kuwait's ruler Sheikh Nawaf dies aged 86, royal court announces

Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, has died at the age of 86, the royal court said on Saturday.

“With great sadness and sorrow, we mourn … the death of Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait,” the statement said.

State television had cut its regular programming and switched to a broadcast of Quran verses before the announcement of the death.

Kuwait has declared mourning for 40 days and the closure of government departments for three days ending on Tuesday evening.

Shortly after the death of Sheikh Nawaf, Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Sabah was named Emir.

“Kuwait's cabinet names Crown Prince His Highness Sheikh Meshal … Emir of the State of Kuwait,” the Kuna news agency reported.

Sheikh Meshal was named Crown Prince by Sheikh Nawaf in 2020.

In late November, Sheikh Nawaf was admitted to hospital “due to an emergency health problem”, but was later reported to be in a stable condition.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed mourned the death of Sheikh Nawaf and ordered three days of national mourning and flags to be flown at half-staff on the government departments inside the country and the UAE embassies and diplomatic missions abroad.

Writing on X, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said: “Our condolences to our people in Kuwait and to our brothers, the Al Sabah family, on the death of the late Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, who served his country for six decades and fulfilled his trust with all sincerity and rested his journey with Ghafoor Karim.

“We ask God to grant him the highest paradise in Paradise. And unto God and to Him we shall return.”

Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, said: “Our sincere condolences and sympathy to our people in Kuwait on the death of the late Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah.

“We pray to God that the deceased of the Arab and Islamic world may have mercy on him and dwell in his spacious paradise, and that he may inspire the people of Kuwait with patience and solace.”

Handover

Sheikh Nawaf handed over some constitutional powers to Sheikh Meshal Al Sabah two years ago.

In 2021, Sheikh Nawaf travelled to the US for medical check-ups.

Born in 1937, Sheikh Nawaf was the fifth son of Kuwait's late ruler from 1921 to 1950, Sheikh Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah.

Sheikh Nawaf started his political career at the age of 25 as governor of Hawalli province, where he remained until 1978 when he started a decade as interior minister.

He previously served as Kuwait’s interior and defence minister.

Sheikh Nawaf was named crown prince in 2006 by his half-brother Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah and took over as Emir when Sheikh Sabah died in September 2020 at the age of 91.

He had to steer the economy through a crisis caused by a fall in oil prices in 2020.

Sheikh Meshal, another half-brother, is 83 and much attention will now be focused on whether a younger generation is brought in by the family.

Sheikh Nawaf's term has been marked by political disputes between the appointed government and elected parliament over the past three years that meant Kuwaitis went to the polls three times.

In 2021, Sheikh Nawaf issued a long-awaited amnesty decree, pardoning and reducing the sentences of nearly three dozen Kuwaiti dissidents in a move aimed at defusing a major government standoff.

He issued another just before his illness, aiming to resolve that political impasse that also saw Kuwait hold three separate parliamentary elections under his rule.